10 things I wished I'd known when I stared to crochet!

1. All the amazing clever and creative people I would meet and all those wonderful wool shops I would visit (on and offline)!
2. The fantastic developments in wool and yarn bringing me the chance to create new crochet designs and develop new crochet ideas
3. The wonderful and original collections from independent wool dyers and spinners giving me the chance to create exclusive designs 
   
4. How the image of crochet as something our grandmothers did in very fine cotton with tiny hooks would change!
5. How the internet would broaden my crochet world bringing inspiration and new stitches from around the world including Tunisian crochet which I am still perfecting.
6. The variety of things I would be able to make everything from throws, cushions, clothes, bags and gifts
7. How rewarding teaching family, friends and people of all ages who attend my workshops would be and the amazing things they make!
8. That clashing colours are OK
9. How in times of stress and boredom crochet would rescue me!
10. That I would finally learn patience!
    

Discover tips tricks and techniques to get the most from your crochet

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Top ten tips for crochet newbies!

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2.   When you are buying yarn think about what you are making, for example for crochet toys a light worsted or double knit. For baby items buy baby specific wool, it will be soft and gentle on babies skin. For scarves and jumpers look for alpaca, wool and cashmere blends, they will be warmer.

3.     

     If you are using up odd scraps of wool for a cushion or throw then use one main colour for the last row of your motifs and for your edging it will bring your finished item together and in harmony.

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My Favourite Yarns

Bergere de France Ideal

I first came across this lovely soft yarn at my local farmers market one cold autumn day in 2012. I crochet all year round, but come the autumn I love a big project for the dark and cold winter nights. A throw to cover my dining room basket chairs would be good! A basket full of colours on the stall was irresistible to me. I took home 6 balls each a different colour to experiment with.

Using a 3.25 size hook I tried out a few circular motifs and a traditional granny square, which with clever use of colours could have looked really good. But I wanted something to challenge me, so out came the books, cuttings and patterns. This is where I found the motifs I needed. http://amzn.to/1kC4tXB

I like to do projects that include challenging patterns with repetitive bits I can do when I'm tired. I tried out several motifs but these caught my eye. 

For such a big project the colours had to be right. I love autumn colours so brown, rust, copper came to my mind. Taking the dogs into the garden one day in October a bright sun lit the trees with golden yellows, deep browns and sludgy green browns. Amazingly the little stream that runs through the village and passes by our cottage sparkled a lovely bright blue in the sparkling sun. These are the colours I chose, brown, golden yellow, sludgy brown and bright blue.

Beregere de France provided the golden yellow(girolle), brown (elephant) and blue (myosotis). I love combining more than one yarn to throws and cushions it adds interest and is more fun to crochet. A bit of research online and I found a double knitting sock yarn online that had a mixed yarn that included sludgy brown and blue.

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Warmest wishes

Ann

Super soft ripple stitch crochet scarf

I loved making this crochet ripple stitch scarf. I always find ripple stitch relaxing to do as soon as I get that first crucial row right! I start all my crochet designs with a visit to my yarn and wool room. I put together different colour yarns by choosing my favourite colours and watching trends in fashion and interior design.

One of the things I love about crochet is how easy it is to use up odd balls of yarn, left over from  bigger projects or purchases from the rummage basket in my favourite wool shop.

I had some Louisa Harding Aimee left over from a baby blanket and also some lovely Louisa Harding Willow which I had bought a year ago. This was just 2 balls which I found in the rummage box and I bought it knowing that at some time I would find a use for it!

Ripple Stitch Crochet Scarf

Last year I made a lovely ripple stitch cushion and it gave me the idea for a scarf. By making the scarf widthways I figured the scarf would be quite stretchy and luckily this worked out. I managed to grab some late summer sunshine sitting in the garden with the dogs and most of the scarf was made before an autumn wind made the garden too cold.

Ripple Stitch Crochet Cushion

I always use combinations of different yarns when I am making projects. It always makes the finished item look different and special. It does take a little care, but as long as you keep the weights the same you will be OK. I wanted a luxurious feel to the scarf and by sticking to my ‘use quality yarns’ when you can’ principle the result is just that. The combination of cashmere, alpaca, silk and Merino gives a beautiful soft plush scarf, perfect for Autumn and Winter!

It is strange how some unlikely combinations of colours look good together once you put them alongside each other or crochet up a sample and this was the case with this scarf. The two shades of pink Aimee always looked good together in my wool basket, but I wasn’t sure about the blue. Once I added in the Willow yarn they all look lovely together and made a subtle combination.

Never one to use a simple pattern I adapted a traditional ripple stitch pattern by adding some popcorn stitches and using double crochets and trebles. What do you think?

To order your ripple stitch pattern click here.....

My Flower Bag

You know how it is..... A new book of crochet patterns sets you off to a head full of ideas. This happened to me about a month ago. I have plenty of patterns for crochet flowers and patterns incorporating flowers, some of these are new and some are vintage. But its always good to see new ideas or older motifs used in new ways.

About the same time I'd also made a visit to one of my favourite wool shops 'Little Lamb' in Helmsley in North Yorkshire and rummaged in the 'odd balls' basket. I came away with some Sirdar Sunggly, Sirdar Crofter Sirdar Bamboo. The bamboo I particularly like, it has a lovely sheen.

I could instantly see how good a pattern for small flowers would look made in the bamboo. I'd chosen a rusty red colour for the bamboo, rust for the Sunggly and a blue/rust mix for he Crofter. Putting my ideas and inspiration from the new book together with the lovely Sirdar yarn and I decided to design a holdall. My reason was to have another  place for my crochet projects. I already have the shelves in my work room, a large basket with a current project or design, another basket with a commission I am working on, but you can never have enough!

I  started by creating some of the flowers and trying out the Sirdar Snuggly in double crochet (US single crochet) and borrowed a cross over treble stitch I'm using for a throw. The pattern for the holdall is now in my Ravelry store.....

The holdall was lovely to make and I spent some very relaxing warm summer evenings in the garden with the dogs.

Pink Crochet Hanger

This is the second child's crochet hanger I designed and made made for a friend. This one is also in double crochet but with a slight difference. The flowers are interesting as you can change their appearance by changing the double trebles into popcorn stitches which I love making!

I have a feeling that these won't be the last little hangers I make! the pattern is available for downlaod from my Ravelry store.

Baby pink crochet hanger for friends baby

This sweet baby pink hanger I designed for a baby or toddler and makes a lovely gift. It's quick and easy to make. I added some bows to make it extra special, crochet flowers would also look very nice.

It came about as a friend's daughter is pregnant and I wanted to make and give an original gift, something pretty (it's a girl) and something that would be seen and used.  Both the baby's grandmothers are great knitters so I know they will be making blankets, jackets and hats, so I had to make something a bit different.

While I was working out what I could do I went into my wardrobe and saw some covered hangers my mother had made for me many years ago. My mother was a pretty basic crocheter but the way she made the hangers and the use of colours means they are very pretty and practical too. Clothes don't snack on them and as they are made using wooden hangers clothes keep their shape well.

I hit on the idea of making some hangers for the baby. Surprisingly I easily found some wooden baby sized coat hangers easily, essential for this pattern. I tried out a few designs and a few test covers before I got the sizes and shape right.

The finished pattern is suitable for beginners and is quick to make. Covering the hangers with wadding first is crucial to create a soft springy effect. I added small pink bows to this ones, but other ones I made ( I made a set of six!) have crochet  flowers, some of which I've grouped together.

You can buy the pattern from my Ravelry shop, just click on the link!